Fadi Ghandour

Almost four months after raising $55.7 million from 26 limited partners, today Dubai-based Wamda Capital announced launch of its $75 million venture capital fund and investment in 3 firms.

Founded by Fadi Ghandour, angel investor and founder of Aramex, the venture capital fund will focus on growth stage financing across the world. (The other fund headed by Mr. Ghandour, Mena Venture Investments, had its focus on seed investments). Among the 26 limited partners, you can see institutions like International Finance Corporation, the Abraaj Group, Crescent Enterprises and Zain Group. Wamda Capital announced its first three investments in the following firms: News Group International, Jamalon and New York based Little Bits Electronics.

Fadi Ghandour, one of the most notable angel investors from Dubai and the Middle East, today announced a new venture capital fund with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as co-investor.

Fadi, an early investor in Maktoob internet portal that was sold to Yahoo for $164 million, is the chairman of logistics firm Aramex and an active investor from the Middle East. His other investment firms are Wamda Capial and MENA Venture Investments.

Aramex, a Dubai-based logistics firm, has acquired Berco Express, a South African logistics and transportation firm, for $55.5 million.

Established in 1982 and traded on the NASDAQ from 1997 to 2002, Aramex today is a publicly traded company in Dubai employing more than 9,000 people.

(Fadi Ghandour, founder and CEO of Aramex is an active angel investor from the Middle East. More details about his investment firm "MENA Venture Investments" can be found in the Middle East Investors Directory under the code SINX1)

TechCrunch, a major Tech website, has an interview with Fadi Ghandour, one of the most notable angel investors from Dubai and the Middle East.

Fadi was one of the first investors in Maktoob-- an internet portal that was sold to Yahoo last year for $164 million. Recently, he's made 14 other investments, including bets on Asuaq, Jeeran and Twitvid.